Maggie Bailey of Bramble & Bee Floral shares a DIY fall centerpiece.
Part Texas wildflower, part English garden, and a little California cool thrown in for good measure—that’s Maggie Bailey’s style. Her flower designs capture the simplicity and innocence of her childhood in rural California, her free-spirited college years in Texas, and precious time spent across the pond with her British-born husband. When asked about her background, the 30-something is quick to credit these rich life experiences rather than any formal training. “I studied science, so I never dreamed I’d become a floral designer,” says the once-aspiring physical therapist. “But I did always have an artistic inkling. I’m not good with a paint brush or pastels, but I have a keen eye for color theory. I really don’t recall how or why, but flowers became my medium and flower arranging my art and my passion.”
Friends and family took notice, and soon Maggie began tackling church flowers and weddings. In 2013, she took her talents one step further by opening the doors to Bramble & Bee, a quaint floral studio and gift shop just off of Main Street in historic downtown Tomball.
Photo by Fernanda Varela
A fall centerpiece loaded with garden roses, lettuces, and other vegetables gathered on the farm.
FALL CENTERPIECE INSPIRATION
“This natural setting offered a wealth of inspiration,” says Maggie Bailey of Bramble & Bee. Sustainable Harvesters in Hockley, Texas, is located on more than 167 acres of farmland dotted with gardens, greenhouses, and groves. “I used freshly plucked lettuces and vegetables with all of their wild, gnarly foliage to give the arrangement a hardy base and an element of the unexpected. The leafy greens also deflected from the formality of the lush garden roses and helped mound the blooms to create a smooth but striking contrast.”
MATERIALS
- Coated chicken wire
- Green, waterproof floral tape
- Assorted lettuces
- Celery
- Tomato vines
- Amaranth
- Delphinium
- Campanula
- Garden roses (Toffee, Secret Garden, Golden Mustard, Quicksand)
- Spray roses
- Butterfly ranunculus
- Queen Anne’s lace
DIY FALL CENTERPIECE INSTRUCTIONS
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Photo by Fernanda Varela Photography
STEP 1 To prepare your container, create a loose ball of chicken wire that fits snuggly inside, and secure it with waterproof tape.
Photo by Fernanda Varela Photography
STEP 2 Establish the shape of the arrangement with a base of greenery: mixed lettuce leaves, celery, and tomato vines. For a more organic, oblong-shaped arrangement, take the greens farther out to the sides and shorter in the front and back.
Photo by Fernanda Varela Photography
STEP 3 Once the outer boundaries of the arrangement are in place, use more foliage to fill in the center, covering the chicken wire mechanics.
—Maggie Bailey
Photo by Fernanda Varela Photography
STEP 4 Insert the linear flowers: amaranth, delphinium, and campanula. Use them to establish the highest and widest points of the arrangement.
Photo by Fernanda Varela Photography
STEP 5 Distribute the garden and spray roses evenly throughout the arrangement. To create depth, make sure some blooms are low and tight and others are longer and more forward-facing.
Photo by Fernanda Varela Photography
STEP 6 Lastly, layer butterfly ranunculus and Queen Anne’s lace over the top of the roses for interest and texture.
Produced by Margaret Zainey Roux | Photography by Fernanda Varela
